Global History Freie Universität Berlin

Overview

Global History from Freie Universität Berlin is based on cooperation between the discipline of history and area studies. Instead of simply conveying a macro-perspective on global change, students are encouraged to acquire in-depth knowledge about the cultural and social history of a single region, which they will learn to situate – through comparisons, and through a focus on interactions and exchange – in the context of global structures and transformations.

Quick Facts:

• The interconnectedness of today’s world is not a new phenomenon, but one that is tied to a long history of exchange and interaction. The history of migration and trade, of empires and nation-states, of religion and the environment, and of ideas, of communication and war have all contributed to linking different parts of the world, albeit unevenly.
• The Master of Arts in Global History is dedicated to exploring the various trajectories of cross-border entanglements around the globe. Unlike programs that treat global history as an extension of imperial or economic history, our approach emphasizes the entanglements between specific regions and global structures. By focusing on comparisons, connections, and processes of global integration, the program helps students to understand the forces that have continuously shaped and restructured the world.
• Global history is one of the most innovative and productive fields of scholarly inquiry today, and challenges us to think about history and its methodologies in new ways. It acknowledges a broad variety of different perspectives and aims to arrive at a non-Eurocentric reading of the global past.